Eccleshill United's dismal run of results continued with a home defeat against second-placed Hallam in the Northern Counties East Premier Division - despite the mid-table side matching the high flying visitors for long periods.

A torrid opening five minutes in the first half and a forceful 15 minute spell immediately after the break that culminated in a decisive two-goal burst inside 90 seconds were the only differences between the sides.

"You talk about getting into the good habit of winning but it's just as easy to get into the habit of losing and that is what is happening to us at the moment," said joint manager Andy Shanks.

"The lads did well and I really think we deserved something out of this game, a draw at least would have been a fair result. "We switched off for five or ten minutes at the start of the second half and they have killed us. Alright their lad has pulled a peach of a strike out but he shouldn't have had the space where he did. The second we were looking for a flag that was never going to come and those things go against you when you are in a bad run.

"We had no joy with long range efforts or marginal decisions going our way and that's typical when your luck is out.

"We are playing good football and there are a lot of positive things we can take out of this game. This is one of the better performances we have had - in fact we have played badly only once in this run of games without a win.

"We have to lift the disappointment from the lads and send them out in positive mood for the next game. We need to scrape a 1-0 win to change our luck and believe me that is all it will take."

The entertainment value of the first half confounded the fact that it remained goalless. The visitors created the first and last chances, and one golden opening in between, but the home side offered more.

Hallam's first corner caused concern in the home defence, Leon Wainman scooped a shot over in oceans of space and visiting skipper Tim Willis planted a header just over the target following a free kick in first- half stoppage time.

Those moments of action were interspersed with close efforts from United. Visiting keeper Jon Scargill parried a goal- bound effort from Dominic Quinn and Karl Cochrane was denied a goal from the rebound by a covering defender on the line.

Another attack almost led to an own goal as visiting central defender Craig Pinder inadvertently deflected a low cross onto Scargill's crossbar.

The two goals that gave Eccleshill a mountain to climb came in the 58th and 59th minutes. Craig Worsfold pulled one out of the top drawer and from a similar position Willis drove low into the corner.

One of two substitutes thrown on by Shanks and Martin Pattison, Mark Burnham, knocked a low ball across the face of Hallam's goal and Cochrane stabbed it in to set up a tense finale.